Hailing from Italy, Ravenstorm deal in melodic black metal. Although the band formed in 2014, Infernum appears to be the first release from this unsigned act, but it’s time not idly spent by the band and the wait has been worth it. Indeed, Infernum arrives able to stand proudly alongside the bands Ravenstorm would call influences and is well worth exploration.
The EP opens, in traditional black metal style, with a brief, scene-setting piece that provides a moment of calm before the inevitable storm erupts. An acoustic piece that emerges from sounds of nature, Beatitudinem highlights the melody at the heart of this band and, if the subsequent tracks are given over to a blackened rage, that sense of melody is never far from hand. The only slight misstep (at least in the review copy) is that the piece fades out where it could segue directly into The Fost King, a black metal epic that draws on elements of Winterfylleth, Primordial and Burzum to deliver a surprisingly potent and even (whisper it) catchy piece of music that has much to offer. With folk-infused digressions, clean vocals and gargantuan riffs, Ravenstorm have sourced a production worthy f their ambitions and the results are impressive indeed. If this is what the band are capable of achieving independently, it seems utterly improbable that a label won’t snap at their heels soon. Another short interlude, in the form of the gorgeous Desperandum, leads the listener by the hand to the storming God Of Nothing, a stabbing, dramatic piece of music that showcases the band’s musical ambition with its deft tempo changes and crushing weight. It’s an EP highlight which, when the entire EP is made up of highlights, is no mean feat.
Following on from the gentle Mortem, Sehnsucht continues in the same reflective vein, an unexpectedly evocative refrain slowly building to a torrential outpouring of blackened vitriol. With Riccardo Coviello delivering a monstrous vocal performance and drummer Matteo Furlan more than proving his worth behind the kit, Sehnsucht still manages to incorporate subtle trad metal influences, not least in the mid-tempo gallop that appears after the initial explosion of icy rage, and the harmonised guitars of Tobias Donati and Simone Tiozzo do much to add to the memorably melodic heft of the piece. Best viewed as a complete piece, Infernum Parts I & II is a slow-building nightmare, whispered voices, barely heard coalescing into a deathly roar underpinned by riffs of real substance. However, as impressive as the track is, the band are not about to make things too simple for the listener to follow and, as the piece progresses, so a more ambient, post-metal sensibility emerges, adding emotional resonance to the track’s metallic weight. The EP concludes with the short epilogue, Via Crucis, a rain-swept lament that brings this impressive body of work to a fitting end.
Infernum is one hell of an introduction to Ravenstorm. It’s entirely clear that the band have spent their time honing their skills on the road, building an impressive repertoire and their own unique style in the process. Drawing on a wide range of influences, their ability to imbue their music with emotion is already fully-formed, and every track tells a story, drawing the listener away from the everyday and into Ravenstorm’s weather-ravaged landscape. With everything from the artwork to the production showcasing remarkable attention to detail, Infernum comes highly recommended. 9/10
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